Fox News – Ex-MLB All-Star Sandy Alomar Sr., who spent 15 seasons playing in the league while also coaching and managing the Puerto Rican national team, has died at 81.
Alomar played for six teams during his MLB tenure, and many of them, including the New York Yankees, mourned the loss of one of their own.
“The Yankees mourn the passing of Sandy Alomar Sr. and extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.”
The Cleveland Guardians also noted they were informed of Alomar’s death by his family. Sandy Alomar Jr. is part of Cleveland’s staff, while also having played for his father in winter ball and minor league ball alongside his Hall of Fame brother, Roberto Alomar …
Santos Alomar Conde (October 19, 1943 – October 13, 2025), known as Sandy Alomar Sr., was a Puerto Rican second baseman who played in Major League Baseball for fourteen seasons, most notably as a member of the California Angels where he was an MLB All-Star player in 1970.
Alomar was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He was the father of former MLB All-Star catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. and Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar.
Alomar was born in Salinas, Puerto Rico on October 19, 1943, the youngest in a family of nine. He attended Luis Munoz Rivera High School in Salinas. He had three older brothers that played professional baseball, though not in the major leagues.
Mets farm system
On February 25, 1967, Alomar became part of an earlier trade between the Braves and Houston Astros that sent Eddie Mathews and Arnold Umbach to Houston for Dave Nicholson and Bob Bruce. Before the 1967 season started, Alomar was traded again to the New York Mets for Derrell Griffith.
Alomar played the majority of the 1967 season with the Jacksonville Suns, the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, under manager Bill Virdon, playing principally at shortstop (though he played the other three infield positions as well) and batting only .209. He joined the Mets for 15 games, going hitless in 22 at-bats.[18] Alomar had thought about quitting U.S. baseball when he was told he was a good fielder but could not hit and was sent to the minor leagues that year; but realized he had a family to provide for and continued to play.
Winter baseball
Alomar played in the Puerto Rican Winter League during most of his minor and major league career.
Chicago White Sox
On August 15, 1967, the Mets traded Alomar, Ken Boyer and a player to be named later to the American League’s (AL) Chicago White Sox for Bill Southworth and a player to be named later (J.C. Martin).
White Sox coach Grover Resinger had coached Alomar in the Braves organization, and believed Alomar was a major league player, recommending him to the White Sox. Alomar played in 12 games for the White Sox that year. In discussing being a member of four different teams in that one year (1967), Alomar later said the year was a nightmare for him, and he felt as if he was being treated “like a piece of garbage”.
Alomar played his first full major league season with the White Sox in 1968 (during which Resinger and manager Eddie Stanky were fired). He had a .253 batting average in 133 games with 395 plate appearances.[20][2] He played mostly at second base, with a .958 fielding percentage, but tied for the most errors by an American League second baseman with Rod Carew (18). He also played third base and shortstop.
California Angels
Alomar began the 1969 season with the White Sox, playing in 22 games. Alomar’s former winter league manager with Ponce in 1968-69, Rocky Bridges, recommended to the Angels that they trade for Alomar.
On May 14, 1969, he and pitcher Bob Priddy were traded to the California Angels for second baseman Bobby Knoop. Knoop was a well regarded fielder, but was hitting .179 at the time of the trade, and Alomar had limited playing time with the White Sox.
Angels’ manager Lefty Phillips showed confidence in Alomar. Alomar became the Angels full-time second baseman, with a .969 fielding percentage. In nearly 600 plate appearances, he hit .250, with 60 runs, 30 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases.
In 1970 Alomar hit .250, with two home runs, a career-high 82 runs, and a career-high tying 162 games played. He received an All-Star berth, with one at bat and two assists in the game. He also led the American League in plate appearances (735). He was third in the AL in stolen bases (35). He had a .979 fielding percentage and led all major league second basemen in double plays (119).
Alomar played in all 162 games again in 1971, leading the major leagues in plate appearances (739) and at bats (689). He hit a full-season career-high .260, to go along with career highs in home runs (4), RBI (42) and stolen bases (39). He was again third highest in the AL in stolen bases. He had a career-high .989 fielding percentage, second best among AL second basemen …
